PCHS’ Risley looking forward to graduation
Editor’s Note: Franklin’s Future is a regular feature spotlighting a high school senior in Franklin County and what they have planned for life after graduation.
Phil Campbell senior Tori Risley, 18, has always gone to PCHS and she said she has had a great time in high school making memories with her friends.
“Some of the best times have just been getting the giggles in class or laughing about a joke or something else funny,” she said.
“Since our school is small, our class has just stuck together over the years and I like all the people in my class.”
Risley was a member of the PCHS softball team for a year but her biggest high school activity was her participation in the PCHS color guard where she served as co-captain and captain and received the “Most Outstanding” award.
“I loved learning how to do color guard and then perfecting it,” she said.
“I really loved performing, too. I just liked the feeling you get when you’re out in front of all those people and the challenge of getting everything right and doing a good job.”
Risley said she will miss her time on color guard and her friends she’ll leave behind once she graduates.
“I’m also going to miss the structure of high school,” she said. “I’ve gotten used to the day-to-day routine and it’ll be strange to change that after 13 years.”
Even though she likes the structure, Risley said she was looking forward to a more laid-back atmosphere in college.
“I think I’ll enjoy having a little more freedom and a little more say in when my classes are so they won’t take up the entire day like they do now,” she said.
Risley said she plans to attend Northwest-Shoals Community College once she graduates from PCHS.
“I decided to go to Northwest because it is closer to home,” she said. “It also offers the degree that I want to pursue.”
Risley said she wants to pursue a career in medical office administration, which she can do while attending NW-SCC.
“When I was trying to think of careers I would enjoy, I was talking to my sister and she actually suggested medical office administration,” she said.
“I want to work in the medical field somehow and I’m interested by what all doctors do, so I think it’s a career I would like.”
Once she has her degree, Risley said she would like to move somewhere other than Franklin County.
“I liked growing up here and I like the small-town feel where everyone knows you and is friendly, but I want to have new experiences,” she said.
“Just living in a new place around new people will be fun for me.”
In her spare time, Risley said she enjoys hanging out with her friends if she isn’t studying or working at Burgers and Cream, where she has worked for the past seven months.
“Having a job in high school can be challenging trying to juggle your school work and your hours, but it also teaches you responsibility,” she said.
“I’ve already started saving money for after graduation and I have had to learn how to spend my money wisely. After you work so hard to earn it, you don’t want to just waste it. It also teaches me to manage my time and prioritize things.”
Risley said she has realized how important it is to keep up her grades, especially now that graduation is only a few months away.
“Grades aren’t just something that seniors have to worry about and I wish someone had told me that when I first started ninth grade,” she said. “You think you have all the time in the world to worry about that stuff but your senior year gets here before you know it and all those grades will really start to matter.
“You should have fun in high school but you should also be responsible.”
Risley is the daughter of Ginger Risley and she has an older sister, Amber Risley.
